Stay near Eiffel Tower or Louvre

I'd say the apartment near the Louvre because the Eiffel Tower is on the west side of Paris and the Louvre is more centrally located but some areas near the Louvre can be very busy and commercial so the specific location of the apartment is important. For example, part of Rue de Rivoli is near the Louvre but I would not want to stay there. You are not going to experience Parisian life in either location. You will see the Eiffel Tower from all over Paris so staying near it is probably something that should not be a deal breaker or deal maker unless you have another reason for staying in the 7th like if for example you want to stay near Rue Cler. I've been to the Pullman. It's fine but other than the ET view, it could be anywhere in the world. If I were going to stay someplace to have a view of the Eiffel Tower, I would prefer to be on the Avenue de la Bourdonnais side of the Champ de Mars and not on the Avenue de Suffren side because I think the transit connections to the more typical attractions are a bit faster and easier from the Avenue de la Bourdonnais side. That being said, I once stayed at the Hotel Ares Paris and loved it but that was because of the hotel and the closeness to a metro station where three lines meet.

This is very helpful. Thanks so much. The Airbnb we are looking into is on Rue Saint Honore. Is that something to stay away from ? I appreciate your suggestions.

Rue Saint Honore is a high-end shopping street that runs from the 1st arrondissement into the 8th arrondissement. For example, last time, I was there, I was going to the Balenciaga store near the intersection with Rue d'Alger for a friend. Within a couple of blocks, you will find a Dior store, a Paul Smith store, an Isabel Marant store, a Louis Vuitton store, and so on. I like all those stores but I would not want to stay on a street with that much high end shopping because though I like to shop, I like to go to shopping and not have the business of a commercial area right outside my door. I suggest looking at Google maps for the closest hotel to your AirBnb and reading the reviews of the hotel on TripAdvisor and booking.com and see what reviewers say about the area. I like stepping out from my apartment on to an uncrowded sidewalk but others like stepping right into the hustle and bustle. I can’t say you should stay away from it. It’s more a question of what you want out of your trip.

Thanks a lot ! The other reviewers loved staying there due to the proximity to everything. I will look into other options

It’s definitely a very central street.

I would recommend staying in an area where there is a lot of foot traffic and well-lite. Generally, I stay in the 5eme or 6eme arrondisementa\s. Both of these neighborhoods are within walking distance to many sights. There are regular people living in these neighborhoods. In the 6eme arrondisement (my favorite), there are an abundance of restaurants, bakeries, bars, cafes and boutique shops. The Left Bank is more residential and busier at all times of the day than the Right Bank (except for the Marais or Bastille areas).
I find the 7eme arrondisement to be too far west to get to sights or moderate priced restaurants in the lively 6eme arr. It's quiet. Rue Cler is the only exception in the 7eme arrondisement for places to eat. Take a look at a Paris map to get a sense of sights you'd be interested in seeing.

Thanks so much

If you look back at some old threads about where to stay in Paris, you will see that there is on ongoing argument about this. Based on my personal experience and all of the opinions I have read here I would advise this:

Stay close to a metro stop or bus stop so that you can get around easily. Stay relatively close to the Seine for your first trip, again to make getting to sites less time consuming and easier.

With kids, I would recommend using Google street view and taking a little "walk" around to see if it will be a place that the kids can run to the boulangerie or market on their own or if you might need to accompany them.

Otherwise, stay anywhere that your budget allows.

I was in Paris for 2 weeks. The first week I stayed in the much maligned 7th (near the Eiffel tower). I loved the neighborhood! It was great walking down Rue Cler, there were a lot of small cafe's , bakeries, high end restaurants, you name it.

The second week I stayed in the 1st near the Louvre and Rue Rivoli. A lot of people feel this area is to "industrial". I didn't really hang out in the direct vicinity, but I was a 5 minute walk to the Tuileries garden. I spent a lot of time in the garden with a paperback book. I could get anywhere from the Tuileries metro stop pretty easily. I loved both neighborhoods.

I am going back in May and this time I chose St. Germain de Pres for lodging. My plan is to stay in every neighborhood, eventually.

Have a great trip!

I think we are going to be in the 1st close to Rue Saint Honore. Its our 1st time and we will be close to the Siene and walking distance of many sights. I do not like the industrial vibe but think its safe neighborhood and will work well for us. I didn't find much luck with 5th or 6th arrondisements for our specifications but will keep looking :)

Merci !

We have always enjoyed staying in the 7th near the Tower. My kids particularly liked going to the Tower at night, sitting on the lawn people watching and watching the Tower lights twinkle. We also enjoyed walking along the Seine, and late deserts along Rue Cler. We like the Relais Bosquet hotel a lot.

Thanks so much. sounds like a vey good hotel. For the 4 of us, The Relais Boquet is economically expensive as its asks us to book 2 rooms that come to over $700 per night. I will keep it mind as backup

Neeti